Abhorsen Anew
by Kettugasm
Summary: Does the walker choose the path or the path choose the walker? Saran, the young Abhorsen, will find out as he battles a band of rougish necromancers to avenge his aunt's death and protect the Kingdom from destruction.


_Name's Kitsune, I'm a story-time writer with a big heart, and all that jazz...Anyway, this is my story that tells the tale of necromantic adventure in the fight verses good and evil in a waging war to save Life and banish Dead...Blah, blah, blah...Basically, this is a bored fangirl's imaginitve fanfiction to Garth Nix's_ Abhorsen_ series, a great trilogy of books, ( :O read them now!) But yes, here's my second fanfic that I had it in my mind to publish..._

**+ Abhorsen Anew +**

**_+ Prequel +_**

+ _Of the Past +_

* * *

It had been ten years since the binding of Orannis by the new seven, wielding song and bell and bark, splitting the Destroyer once more into the two silver hemispheres. The battles were man, and difficult, but Lirael, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting and sister to Sabriel; Prince Sameth, the son of King Touchstone and his Abhorsen Queen, descendent of the Wallmakers; Mogget, the small white feline bound to serve the necromantic family; and the Disreputable Dog, the hound who devoted her life and friendship to her Clayr mistress; they all helped to stop the terrible plotting of Hedge, Chlorr, and Orannis himself.

Ranna, the Sleeper, wielded by King Touchstone.

Mosrael, the Waker, wielded by the Clayr twins Sanar and Ryelle, daughters of the Glacier.

Kibeth, the Walker, barked by the Disreputable Dog, wielding herself as she had done long ago.

Dyrim, the Speaker, wielded by Ellimere, elder sister to her brother Sameth.

Belgaer, the Thinker, wielded by Prince Sameth, heir to the Wallmakers' powers.

Saraneth, the Binder, wielded by the Abhorsen Queen Sabriel.

And Astarael, the Sorrowful, wielded by Lirael herself, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting.

…Plus the voice of Yrael, the bound creature within the tiny white, feline body of Mogget.

All of these grand powers combined, they banished the evil of Orannis back into his half-sphered prison. It was then, that all became calm once again the Old Kingdom, and Ancelstierre. All was calm, all was peace, no Dead dared to revolt, aside from the occasional disturbance of Hands or other lower Dead.

That is, until the news of the Abhorsen's untimely death was delivered to the castle at Belisaere. Sabriel had been killed, murdered by some horribly powerful necromancer, or more like, a combined effort of many.

They had called themselves Astaren, named after the largest bell on a necromancer's bandolier, named after the Sorrowful, the Weeper. And it was they're duty to destroy all who opposed their wretched ambitions. And as to what those were, no one but the Astaren knew. They went from town to town, killing any who tried to stop their evil deeds, slaughtering slowly to increase the power of the spirits. Never did Dead Hands follow these rouge bell-wielders, for only those without decaying flesh, those who had intelligence restored. Shadow Hands were favored greatly by these necromancing devils.

And the youngest of all of these demonic humans, was the young boy named Yrale, and despite his age, he was one of the most deadly of the Astaren. He was vicious, despite being only twelve years old, he could send even a Greater Dead back into Death and far past the Ninth Gate. And even he himself had been underneath the bright starring 'sky' of the Ninth Gate, staring up at the light as he smiled up at it.

It was not his time to die, no, not yet.

And it was these demons who had ambushed the Abhorsen, and which a glorious battle took place. In the end, Sabriel had fallen, despite all her efforts to protect herself and her beloved country. Reasons for her ultimate death were unknown, but could have been due to the fact that she was indeed the Abhorsen, having many enemies.

But when the news arrived to the Kingdom of Belisaere, King Touchstone and family were utterly devastated. Both Sameth and Ellimere were in rivers of tears at the news of their mother's death, but none hit harder than to the new Abhorsen, Lirael. She resided in her new home of the small island in the center of the Ratterlin, just before the great falls, Abhorsen's House. And as the news of Sabriel's death arrived, it was utterly horrible. Her elder sister, killed, murdered by a band of roguish necromancers. The brutes were _nice_ enough to send her past through the Ninth Gate, but only to make sure she could never return and no other necromancers could enslave her spirit. They had done their devious duty, and slunk away from detection, hiding away from all who hunted the Abhorsen's murderers. Lirael knew, she knew that things would eventually get better, but as of now, hope was long gone. And so, she sat sobbing, wiping away her tears from her pale face with slim golden fingers. Indeed, her beloved nephew had constructed her a new hand, made from the finest gold, just as her canine companion had stated so long ago. And it was there she sat, in a small rocking chair, cradling a large bundle in her arms. Whatever it was, the bundle occasionally moved up and down, shifting as if it were alive.

And indeed it was.

Lirael smiled softly to see the small and pale face staring up at her sobbing form, the dark eyes studying her own as a tiny hand reached out to gingerly touch one of the Abhorsen's tears.

And then, the soft voice spoke, gently and quietly, but loud in such a silent room.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

* * *

_Nyah, that's terribly fun to write, and such, mmm, I love Mogget too much, (strange how he's really not in this chapter, nyah)I know, I know, I killed Sabriel, don't enslave me, but then again, some of you crazy necromancers are probably happy I did so, I don't want to go past the Ninth Gate!...Anyway, this is merely a prequel to the glorious story of such and such, and I hope you're smart enough to figure out that Yrale, (hugs him), will be a main player just like Lirael's child...And yes, yeah, that's right... (sigh) I'm tired, I need some fish..._


End file.
